Full movie description "Three Desperate Men":

When they learn that their brother Matt Denton (Ross Latimer) is awaiting trial in California, charged with train robbery, deputies Tom Denton (Preston Foster) and Fred Denton (Jim Davis) leave their home in Fort Grant, Texas and head west. They arrive in Tulare just in time to rescue Matt from being hanged, but a guard is killed during their escape. Ed Larkin (Rory Mallinson) who framed Matt, falsely accuses them of a long list of crimes. They return to Fort Grant so that Tom can see his sweetheart Laura Brook (Virginia Grey). They encounter outlaw Bill Devlin (William Haade) who persuades them to hold up a train which Laura unwittingly told them would carry a large payroll. Soon the whole territory is enraged at their deeds. They return to Fort Grant to hold up the two banks that are filled with huge sums of cattle money.

Reviews of the Three Desperate Men

Only a lack of production values prevents me from giving this Lippert Production a higher rating. Three Desperate Men is an outstanding B western that stars Preston Foster, Jim Davis and Ross Latimer as the Denton brothers, read Dalton Brothers.

Foster and Davis are earning a living in Texas as honest lawmen and learn that their brother Latimer has been arrested in another state on a train robbery charge he couldn't possibly have committed since he was with them. They ride with evidence to clear him before he hangs, but the railroad agent Rory Mallinson is a vicious sort who tries to send them out of town before the hanging. They spring Latimer, but a deputy is killed. After that they're all hunted outlaws.

Although the film is short it packs quite a lot of action in its 70 minute time frame. In the supporting cast note a pair of good performances from Monte Blue as the former marshal who employed Foster and Davis and now has to track them down and from William Haade who may have his career role in this film as the amiable outlaw whom Foster and Davis once hunted and who now joins with them.

There is also a bittersweet romance with Virginia Grey and Foster that also ends badly. As for the ending itself Denton is an alias for Dalton and we know how it ended for those brothers.

One of the best films I've seen from Lippert and that's not just comparatively speaking.